A trade union affiliated with the main Moroccan Islamist party organized several hundred supporters to demonstrate against the high cost of living on Sunday in the capital.
The demonstration, which AFP journalists saw outside of the parliament, followed other demonstrations this week in Rabat and other Moroccan cities.
“Our Union is organizing this demonstration today to address public opinion, the government, the parliament, the political, economic and social parties, and the living forces. Enough (of suffocating the people) with the purchasing power of the citizens, enough of the high prices of fuel, raw materials and foodstuffs,” said Mohamed Zouiten, a trade unionist.
“Let’s finish (stifling) the purchasing power and let’s finish the non-increase of salaries, the high cost of daily life, the high fuel prices at all levels. All this makes the citizens suffer, and we have to make our voices heard so that this injustice is lifted from them and so that the government takes action and keeps the promises it made during the last electoral campaigns,” said Fatema Belahcen, a trade unionist.
The UNTM, the country’s largest union and a close ally of the Justice and Development Party, organized it (PJD).
In the September 2021 elections for the legislature, the liberal RNI party, led by Prime Minister Aziz Akhannouch, fared well, while the PJD was crushed.
“Prices are rising and the government is asleep!” protesters chanted, before dispersing peacefully after about 90 minutes.
In September, consumer price inflation was 8.3 percent compared to the same month last year, largely as a result of soaring food prices, which rose by 14.7 percent.
Given that Akhannouch is a millionaire local oil distribution magnate and that fuel costs have also increased significantly, he has been a special focus of ire.
